The present invention generally relates to a system and method for processing telephone calls, and in particular, a system and method for handling voice frequency modem calls from modem users to service providers.
Over the years, various devices and methods have been developed to facilitate communication between parties. For example, for purposes of allowing individuals to communicate to each other via a telephone associated with each party, a circuit switch or voice telephone network was developed to provide a system by which voice signals between individuals may be exchanged. In such cases, voice communication between specific parties is established via a dedicated circuit in the voice telephone network. Typical voice communication telephone calls last, on average, about three or four minutes.
In other instances a party having a work station or personal computer and a modem may place a telephone call to a service provider (e.g., Internet service provider, on-line provider, corporate networks) having a modem to establish data communications between the party and the service provider. In such instances, communication between the two modems also utilizes the voice telephone network. However, such data communications telephone calls over the voice telephone network typically last much longer than the average voice communication telephone calls, and, in fact, may last fifteen to twenty minutes, or even hours at a time. In view of such durations and the fact that each voice or data telephone call utilizes a dedicated circuit for each call, the voice telephone networks are subject to overloading. Furthermore, as data traffic over voice telephone network is typically sent at a rate of only about 28.8 kilobits per second while the system can accommodate traffic sent at a rate of about 64 kilobits per second, only a fraction of the capability of the voice telephone network is utilized in data telephone calls. Furthermore, actual data rates are, on average, much lower (e.g., 5 kilobits per second).
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for efficiently and economically handling a voice frequency call between a modem user and a service provider.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method for interconnecting a modem user and a service provider while reducing voice switching and trunk loading.
To achieve one or both of these objectives, the present invention concerns a system for handling at least a first voice frequency data call from at least a first person or first modem user to a first service provider by routing data (e.g., modem data, Integrated Services Digital Network (xe2x80x9cISDNxe2x80x9d) B channel data) from such voice frequency data calls toward the service provider over a data network (e.g., packet switched data network). In one aspect, in order to handle a first voice frequency modem call, the system for handling such voice frequency calls includes a means for recognizing and directing the routing of at least a first voice frequency call to a first network modem (e.g., interconnecting a voice frequency call to an available modem located in a central office), and a converter, interconnected to (e.g., in electrical communication with) the means for recognizing and directing, for receiving data from the first voice frequency call via the first modem and packetizing the first voice frequency call into a packet switch call having at least a first packet, which is transmittable toward the first service provider via a data network interconnectable to the first service provider. As such, voice switch and trunk loading on circuit switched voice networks is reducible.
Of importance, the system utilizes an Advanced Intelligent Network (xe2x80x9cAINxe2x80x9d) and an associated switch to efficiently recognize that a voice frequency modem call from a modem user to a specific service provider is subject to special call processing and to provide information on how the modem call is to be routed (e.g., towards the service provider via a network modem and the data network). In this regard, in one embodiment, the means for recognizing and directing includes a receiver (e.g., switch) which is capable of recognizing that the voice frequency modem call is subject to special processing and generating at least a first message having a query corresponding at least to the first termination telephone number, and a processor, interconnected to (e.g., in electrical communication with) the receiver, which is capable of retrieving from a database associated with the processor information in response to the first message to direct the routing of the first voice frequency call toward the data network via a first modem (e.g., any available modem) in a modem bank. More specifically, in one embodiment, the receiver includes an AIN capable switch having an AIN trigger capable of generating the first message upon receipt and identification of a voice frequency call to a specific number associated with the service provider. In another embodiment, the processor includes a Service Control Point (xe2x80x9cSCPxe2x80x9d) for retrieving information corresponding to the first termination telephone number from the database associated with the SCP and for generating a message to direct the routing of the voice frequency call to a data network via a first modem.
The converter for assembling packets of data is generally capable of converting voice frequency calls into packet switch calls having at least a first packet. As such, the converter is capable of receiving the output from a first modem, namely, the data in the voice frequency call from the first person, and packetizing the data for transport toward the appropriate service provider over the data network. For purposes of routing the packets within the data network, the packetizer may also address each packet with at least a destination address corresponding to the service provider and an originating address corresponding to the first person (e.g., the converter port through which the voice frequency modem call is routed). For purposes of properly addressing each packet, the packetizer may obtain the service provider""s address and/or routing instructions by interfacing with the AIN directly or by interfacing with the receiver (e.g., switch). In instances where at least a second modem user wishes to establish modem or ISDN B-channel data communication with the first service provider or a second service provider, the system may further include a multiplexer for multiplexing packets of data for transport toward the appropriate service provider via the data network.
For purposes of delivering data from the voice frequency call to a service provider not having the capability and/or desire to receive packetized and/or multiplexed data, the system may further include a packet disassembler for depacketizing packets and/or for demultiplexing packets. In one embodiment, where packetized data from modem users""voice frequency modem calls is to be delivered from the data network to the service provider via a channelized T-1 data delivery system (e.g., T-1 line), the system of the present invention includes a depacketizer and second modem associated with the service provider to deliver strings of data to the service provider. In another embodiment, where packetized data from modem users""voice frequency modem calls is to be delivered from the data network to the service provider as a Voice Frequency/Twisted Pair (xe2x80x9cVF/TPxe2x80x9d) data stream, the system of the present invention includes a diassembler for depacketizing and/or demultiplexing the packets. Otherwise, where the service provider is interconnectable (e.g., electrically linkable) to the data network and has the capability and/or desire to demultiplex and/or depacketize packets, the data from modem users may be delivered to the appropriate service provider via the data network as multiplexed and packeted data.
In another aspect, the present invention concerns a method for handling at least a first voice frequency data call (e.g., modem data, ISDN B-channel data) to/from at least a first modem user from/to a first termination telephone number associated with a first service provider, which includes the steps of recognizing the first voice frequency data call from the first modem user corresponds to the first service provider, directing the routing of the first voice frequency data call toward a data network via a first network modem, and processing the voice frequency data call, and specifically the data of the voice frequency data call, to convert the first voice frequency data call into a first packet switch call having at least a first packet transmittable toward the first service provider via the data network linkable to the first service provider. The first packet corresponds to data included in the first voice frequency data call. In this regard, the method of the present invention alleviates voice switch and trunk loading as communicating between modem users and service providers can be more efficiently established via a data network.
In one embodiment of the method of the present invention, the step of recognizing a first voice frequency modem call includes the steps of receiving the first voice frequency modem call from the first person (e.g., first modem user) via a first user modem associated with the first person and identifying that the first voice frequency modem call corresponds to the first service provider and, as such, warrants special processing. In order to obtain information regarding treatment of the first voice frequency modem call, the step of directing the routing includes the steps of processing at least the first termination telephone number to retrieve information concerning the routing of the first voice frequency modem call and routing the first voice frequency modem call to the data network via the first network modem.
In one embodiment, an AIN is utilized to perform the steps of processing at least the first termination telephone number to obtain information and providing instructions to route the first voice frequency modem call. More specifically, in this embodiment, the steps of processing the first voice frequency call and routing includes the steps of generating a first message to request data corresponding to at least the first termination telephone number, searching, in response to the first message, a database to retrieve data corresponding to at least the first termination telephone number, the data being stored in the database, and generating a second message to direct the routing of the voice frequency call to the first network modem, the second message being based upon data retrieved during the searching step. In one embodiment, the steps of receiving the voice frequency call and generating the first message to request information or data concerning how to route or process the voice frequency call is performed by an AIN capable switch, and specifically, an AIN trigger associated therewith. In another embodiment, the AIN, and specifically, a Service Control Point, is utilized to perform the steps of searching the database and generating the second message to direct the routing of the voice frequency call.
The step of processing the voice frequency call generally concerns converting the voice frequency modem call, and specifically, data from the voice frequency call, into a form which is transportable in the data network. In one embodiment, the step of processing the voice frequency call includes the step of packet assembling (e.g., packetizing) the data from the voice frequency call into a packet switch call having at least a first packet of data. The processing step may also include the step of addressing each of the packets to facilitate routing of the packets toward the first service provider via the data network. Addresses for services providers may be obtained by receiving such addresses from the receiver (e.g., AIN capable switch) or alternatively, from the AIN directly or, in another embodiment, from another database server. In another embodiment, where a second packet corresponding to a second person is to be transmitted toward the first service provider or a second service provider via the data network, the method of the present invention further includes the step of multiplexing at least the first and second packets corresponding to the first and second persons, respectively, for transport toward the appropriate service provider via the data network. In this regard, a plurality of multiplexed packets are substantially simultaneously transmittable toward the appropriate service provider via the data network.
The method of the present invention may further include the step of transmitting at least the first packet towards the first service provider via the data network which is interconnectable to the first service provider. In one embodiment, where the first service provider has the capability to disassemble (e.g., demultiplex and/or depacketize) packets, the method further includes the step of delivering at least a first packet to the first service provider over the data network. In another embodiment, where the first service provider does not have the capability and/or the desire to demultiplex (e.g., in instances where at least a second packet from a second person is multiplexed with the first packet) and/or depacketize packets, the method may further include the steps of disassembling (e.g., demultiplexing and/or depacketizing) at least the first packet to convert the packet switch call back to a voice frequency call and delivering data to the first service provider via VF/TP data delivery devices. In yet another embodiment, where the service provider does not have to the capability and/or the desire to demultiplex (e.g., in instances where at least a second packet from a second person is multiplexed with the first packet) and/or depacketize packets, the method of the present invention further includes the steps of disassembling (e.g., demultiplexing and/or depacketizing) at least the first packet into at least a first data string corresponding to data from the voice frequency call from the first person and delivering at least the first data string to the first service provider via a second modem associated with the service provider and a T-1 line (e.g., channelized T-1 data delivery).